Highway guard rail



July 9, 1935. G. E. EDGECOMBE HI GHWAY GUARD RA I L Filed Deo.

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WITNESS:

Patented Julyl 9,1935 i 'UNITE "STAT E1s vPA'1ENT OFFICE VHIGHWAY GUARD RAIL VGeorge E. Edgecornb'e, Binghamton, Y. l Application December 18, 1933, Serial No; 702,992 1 Claim.l (C1. 25o-13.1)

The invention relates to a highway guardand more especially to guard rails for. highways.

The primary object of theinvention is the provision of adeviceoi this character, wherein pro- 5 tection will be afforded traic at one or both sides of a highwayto eliminate the Vpossibility of accident by lrunning off of the roadway, vparticularly at a bender curve therein, the device being of novel construction so that the railsthereof will resist impact and functionas shock absorbers in event that a vehicle strikes the same.

Another object of the invention is theproviy sion of a device of this character, wherein the rails i are mounted in a manner to permitiexpansion and contraction thereof idue to climatic changes and such rails are yieldably supported to absorb shocksand jarsincident to contact therewith and, will guard the side of a roadbed or highway to avoid accident by 'a vehicle running off of the same. Y

A further object of the invention is the provision of a Vdevice of this character which 'is extremely simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and ecient in its purpose, strong, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture and install.

i 4With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction,

combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which discloses' thepref erred embodiment of the invention, and pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is fa fragmentary' vertical sectional view through a roadbed showing Vthe device constructed in accordance with the invention erected thereon. l l j Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View on the line 2'-2 of' Figure 1.

Figure 3 is afragmentary perspective view of oneof the rail sections. f

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the i drawing. i 4,5 Y Referring toy the drawing-Yin detail, A designates generally a portion of a roadbed and B its surface traveled by vehicles.V The guard device for the roadbed A comprises a series of posts 5, these preferably made from cementitious material direction of the and of the shape required and of any desired length. The posts 5 are arranged vertically in spaced relation to each other and anchored within the bed A in any suitable vmanner at the side edging of said bed. It is preferable to have the- 5 posts extend above the surface B at a height alike one to the other. i

Arranged transversely in each post 5, close to its Vupper end, is a .bolt 6 carrying the nut l. and

formed with the heads 8, this bolt being extend- 10 ed from the post 5 toward the roadbed a determined distance and held in the post by the said nut l..

Carried by the bolts Gare the channeled rail sections S, these at their ends next to each other 15 being overlapped or telescoped one upon the other, while formed'in the said rails are the longitudinally disposed elongated slots lll, these accommodating the bolts 6 and the extent of the slots permits of expansion and 'contraction of the rail sections due to climatic changes.

Arranged about each bolt 6 between the posts 5 carrying itV and the rail sections 9 is a coil tensioning spring il, the same being seated against bearing plates l2 engaged upon the bolts G and contacting with the said posts 5 and the rail sections 9, the spring being designed to hold the rail sections away'rfrom the posts 5 and also to absorb shocks and jars incident to the striking of or contacting with the rail sections. In other words, the springs Ii` function asshock absorbers and the rail sections in their group constitute a guard railfor the side of a roadbed or highway.

What is claimed is:

Ina highway guard, spaced vertical posts anchored in a foundation and having flat sides next to a highway, a plurality of substantially U- shaped rails, these overlapping each other at ad-f jacent ends and having confronting longitudinally directed slots at the overlapped ends, bolts 'carried in said posts and having headed ends engaging the slots, bearing plates loose upon said'bolts and disposed next to the posts and next tothe overlapped ends of the rails, and compression springs surrounding the bolts and resting against the bearing plates to sustain the rails in their overlapped relation spaced from the posts in the highway. l

GEORGE E. EDGECOMBE. 

